Conditions Update: Conditions 6, 12a, 13, 14, 15 and 26

As construction planning for the Trans Mountain Expansion Project continues, various teams are working hard behind the scenes to ensure we meet the 157 Conditions set out by the National Energy Board (NEB). The conditions apply during various stages of the Project’s lifecycle, including before construction, during construction and during operation of the pipeline system, and are designed to reduce possible risks identified during the application process.

These Project-specific conditions are in addition to existing regulations, codes and standards, and our commitments, and ensure the pipeline system is planned, built and operated safely. Many of these conditions are in response to community and Intervenor feedback gathered through the regulatory review process and from the many residents who participated in our open houses, workshops and online opportunities.

In addition to the five overarching Conditions, there are approximately 100 Conditions requiring filings to take place prior to construction. As of March 1, 2017, Trans Mountain has filed around 30 compliance filings with the NEB in fulfillment of the Conditions. These filings include:

To assist the NEB and all stakeholders in tracking the implementation of commitments we made in our Project application and/or on the hearing record (that closed on May 19, 2016), Trans Mountain must regularly file and post a Commitments Tracking Table. The commitments tracking table requires the table to be filed within three months after the date the Project receives a Certificate of Public Necessity and Convenience (CPCN); at least 30 days prior to commencing construction; monthly, from the commencement of construction until the first month after commencing operation; and quarterly thereafter. A copy of the most up-to-date table can be found on our website here.

Condition 12(a) requires Trans Mountain to file a plan for monitoring the implementation and outcomes of Aboriginal, local and regional training and education measures and opportunities for the Project.

Summary

Trans Mountain’s goal is to maximize employment and business opportunities for Aboriginal, local and regional groups along the Project route. The Training and Education Monitoring Plan is one of several documents outlining Trans Mountain’s overall approach to addressing, monitoring and reporting on socioeconomic effects and opportunities associated with the Project.

Condition 13 requires Trans Mountain to file a plan for monitoring potential adverse socio-economic eﬀects of the Project during construction.

Summary

Socio-economic effects monitoring is a tool to evaluate the effectiveness of socio-economic mitigation measures, to manage unintended socio-economic impacts of a project, to optimize positive project impacts and as a means of communicating with affected stakeholders and Indigenous groups in an ongoing manner. The Socio-economic Effects Monitoring Plan provides an overview of Trans Mountain’s proposed socio-economic effects monitoring process for the construction phase, including monitoring objectives, approach, indicators and data collection and review process. It also summarizes Trans Mountain’s Indigenous and stakeholder engagement related to the monitoring plan to-date and how socio-economic effects monitoring results will be shared as the plan is implemented during construction.

Condition 14 requires Trans Mountain to file Terms of Reference for TWGs established in order to address speciﬁc technical and construction issues with aﬀected municipalities. The terms of reference must be developed in consultation with participating municipalities and facility owners and operators that will be aﬀected by the Project.

Summary

The goal of TWGs is to address specific technical and construction issues with affected municipalities. The TWG Terms of Reference provides the framework for how Trans Mountain and municipalities will work together to achieve this goal, including identifying the appropriate contacts to participate in TWGs; proposing a method for tracking issues and resolution of concerns; protocols for reporting and communicating with TWG members; and identifying the issues or topics within the TWGs’ scope and mandate.

Condition 15 requires Trans Mountain to file the results of the updated risk assessment for the Project, as well as Environment Risk Score acceptance criteria with supporting rationale and a detailed description of the adequacy of parameters provided in Line 2 Consequence Report (A3Z8G5).

Summary

Trans Mountain implemented a risk-based design process for the expansion Project, including the two new delivery pipelines between Burnaby and Westridge Terminals.

The updated risk assessment shows a general decrease in overall failure frequencies, consequence index and risk index, which is largely attributable to a reduction of natural hazards and third party damage. Risks posed by natural hazards have been mitigated through routing changes and design changes (such as the additional heavier walled pipe and extra burial depth). Risks posed by third party damage have been mitigated through additional heavier walled pipe, increased depth of cover and buried marker tape. Through two rounds of valve optimization, the first to establish outflow volumes to low as reasonably practicable (ALARP), and the second to confirm that ALARP has been met, Trans Mountain has substantially reduced the maximum modelled outflow volumes from those presented in the 2014 Report.

Trans Mountain has utilized a consequence-weighted approach, amplifying areas of environmental sensitivity, which has yield distributed Environmental Risk Score values. A comparison of the 2014 report to this update has resulted in a 91 per cent reduction of integrated environmental risk scores.

The post-mitigation design of the Project has effectively reduced the pre-mitigated integrated environmental risk scores by 91 per cent.

Condition 26 requires Trans Mountain to file a description of the selected tunnel lining method with the rationale for its selection; and tunnel confined space entry procedures during construction and visual inspection, and, if applicable, following construction.

Summary

Trans Mountain will employ a Precast Concrete Tunnel Lining (“PCTL”) in the construction of the Burnaby Mountain Tunnel. The precast segments are produced off site and are delivered with gaskets affixed and hardware for connecting together. Once installed, the PCTL enables the Tunnel Boring Machine (“TBM”) to advance another 1.5 meters, however also structurally supports the ground and external water pressures. This is a proven method that enables safe tunnel excavation and maintains a dry tunnel.

The Report also includes descriptions of the site access roads, portal construction works and localized water treatment programs to ensure both ground stability and effective construction water treatment plans. At the conclusion of the installation of the delivery pipelines in the Tunnel, the portal areas will be backfilled and restored to original grade.

After the delivery pipes are installed, Tunnel backfilling operations will commence, as further described in the Report. Impermeable concrete zones of tunnel backfill will be used to stop flow along the tunnel alignment. General filling with a Low Density Cellular Grout will ensure proper and complete backfilling of the Tunnel that, once cured to strength, has the structural integrity to act as the permanent pipe support through full encasement for the life of operations.

Welded and coated steel pipe will be brought to the site and placed in the Tunnel. Pipe will be placed on pipe supports and rolled into the tunnel. Pipe handling will be engineered by Trans Mountain from the beginning of the process to the end, checking each step along construction to verify and ensure the integrity of the pipeline in operations.